Former Jay guidance counselor sentenced for sexually abusing two girls

FARMINGTON, Maine — A Wilton man was sentenced Aug. 31 to serve 18 months of a 13-year sentence and 10 years probation for sexually abusing two girls under the age of 12 in September 2006, according to court documents.

Carl A. Seaward, 82, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of unlawful sexual contact and one misdemeanor count of unlawful sexual touching on Aug. 31 in Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta.

Wilton police launched an investigation earlier this year after they received a referral from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Sgt. Richard Billian Jr. arrested Seaward, a retired school guidance counselor and teacher, in May. Seaward retired after more than 15 years as a Jay Elementary School guidance counselor in 2002. The charges are not connected to any of his former students.

According to court documents, he was sentenced to eight years with all but nine months suspended on the first felony charge and six years probation on one count of unlawful sexual contact. The conviction on that charge could have carried up to 30 years in prison.

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He was also sentenced to serve nine months consecutive to the first count on the second charge of unlawful sexual contact. The conviction on that charge could have carried up to 10 years in prison.

In addition, Seaward was sentenced to five years all suspended on the third charge of unlawful sexual contact and four years of probation to begin after the six years probation are served on the first count. The conviction on the charge also carried up to 10 years in prison.

He also was sentenced to serve nine months to run concurrent, or together, with the nine months he will serve on count two.

Seaward is also required to register as a sex offender, according to court documents.

He will serve his sentence at a county jail. Conditions of his release include that he have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16 and to have no contact with the victims unless they and their parents consent in writing.